Green, John - The Fault in Our Stars - Informal Buddy Read; Starts December 17, 2014***REVISIT starts June 10, 2018

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This topic is open for discussion of The Fault in Our Stars by John Green



Book Synopsis:
Despite the tumor-shrinking medical miracle that has bought her a few years, Hazel has never been anything but terminal, her final chapter inscribed upon diagnosis. But when a gorgeous plot twist named Augustus Waters suddenly appears at Cancer Kid Support Group, Hazel's story is about to be completely rewritten.

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[Shinjini]

Thank you, mods!

[Christine]

Yay, I'm happy to see a Buddy Read for this book! I just read it a couple of weeks ago, so I thought I'd pop in and share my thoughts - I will use spoiler tags for anyone who's just beginning the book.

(view spoiler)[I listened to the audio edition of this book while on a road trip with my husband and my teenagers. My kids had been raving about this book, so I thought I'd give it a try. The subject matter was, of course, heartbreaking. Underneath that, though, I thought the author did a great job of depicting the experience of being a teenager while the characters were doing their best to cope with terminal cancer.

As a reader, I loved the way that Hazel relied on that book to help her cope. My heart broke about a thousand times throughout this book: when Isaac lost his sight; when Augustus' cancer returned and his yearning to maintain his identity and independence while his health failed, and of course, when he died; reading about Hazel's parents' emotional struggles and her worries about them. The author touched on a lot of complex relational issues in the context of terminal illness, and I was impressed with how he handled that in a YA book.

When we returned from our trip, my husband and my daughter immediately went and bought the recent movie based on this book. It was great and I cried all over again watching it, but of course (as usual) the book was much better because it was able to delve into much greater detail. (hide spoiler)]

I hope you all enjoy the book!

[Shinjini]

Hey Christine! We'll be starting this on the 17th so maybe I'll see your spoiler after I finish. Thank you! I have some high expectations from this one.

[Juliana]

I'm in.

Shinjini, I also have high expectations about this book. Let's see how it goes next week. :)

[Shinjini]

Awesome, Juliana!

I will be starting this in a bit. I got delayed as the copy I had turned out to be corrupt. Hope you guys are still around. :)

[Shinjini]

Really liking the book so far. I love Hazel's narrative voice. There's something innately wondrous about her mind. She doesn't think like normal teenagers and her outlook towards life, and death, is fascinating to me. And what do I say about Augustus? That boy warms my heart. What a cool guy and so charming!

I know what is coming, knowing about their condition, but I really don't them to cease to exist in my life. I want this book to go on and on and on...

[[deleted user]]

I'm up to ch 7. I really like Hazel. She feels really real to me. Not feeling it so much for Augustus at the moment but maybe he will grow on me.

(view spoiler)[I really hope that Hazel gets to meet Peter van Houten and that if she does he is kind to her and tells her what she wants to know.

I also hope that the pain in her head isn't a sign of anything serious. (hide spoiler)]

[[deleted user]]

Finished ch 11

I can't believe it's only been 5 chapters I feel drained. It's so sad and I keep thinking about, Esther Earl the girl it was written for.

Augustus isn't spouting as much pseudo-philosophy now. I like him much better. I still love Hazel.

Giving it a break for awhile.

[Shinjini]

Just saw this. I am finding Augustus really adorable now. He was so excited on the plane to Detroit. His philosophical side was nice but I love this side of him so much more! Hazel is also loosening up and trying to enjoy things better. I am in chapter 10 at the moment. This book needs to be read slowly and with breaks because it needs to be savoured.

I keep thinking about Esther Earl as well. I really want to read soon.

[[deleted user]]

Shinjini wrote: "Just saw this. I am finding Augustus really adorable now. He was so excited on the plane to Detroit. His philosophical side was nice but I love this side of him so much more! Hazel is also loosenin..."

I also like Augustus more when he is just being himself and not trying to impress anyone.

[Shinjini]

I've finished the book. Will wait for you to finish before I post anything else.

[[deleted user]]

I finished it yesterday.

[Shinjini]

Oh you did? So tell me, how was it for you? What did you rate the book?

[[deleted user]]

I gave it a four star rating. It was good but I didn't love it. I wasn't a fan of the pseudo-philosophy. Some of what Hazel and Augustus said and their conversations with the author guy did not ring true to me. I did cry the whole time while reading the last quarter though.

[Shinjini]

Yes, that bit of philosophy can sound pretentious like Isaac said. I didn't pay much attention to it myself. I was too in love with Augustus and Hazel and maybe only people in their situation would understand what they meant by those conversations.

I was crying the last quarter as well. In fact even before that. It was heartbreaking! Chapter 13 till the end felt like a roller coaster that only went down. And that last letter Augustus wrote.. I knew I'd cry while reading the book but I didn't expect to feel this way. Now, I must watch the movie.

Who was your most favourite character and least favourite? Favourite moment?

[[deleted user]]

My favourite character was Hazel and my least favourite was the author guy, van Houten. There was a lot of moments I liked: Isaac breaking the trophies and when they egged his ex's car; the plane ride to Amsterdam; the bit where Augustus's family were being too sentimental and Hazel said that he wasn't that clever which led to the line about Augustus being so beautiful he had even managed to blind his friend. I also like the bit that showed how people can be at cross purposes - Hazel wanting her mum to be not so hands on all the time and worrying what will happen to her mum after she dies while her mum was actually studying and keeping it from her in case she felt hurt by it.

[Shinjini]

(view spoiler)[My favourite character has to be Augustus Waters. Hazel is a close second but Gus is the first. I just couldn't help it. I was told before reading the book that I'd love him but I was unsure about it. Romance and I don't have a very good history. But this guy. I couldn't help falling for him. Yes he had his faults too. He admitted to being selfish in making Hazel fall in love with a grenade but still, I forgive him. I have to. He redeemed himself over and over again in my eyes.

Least favourite character has got to be Peter van Houten. What an obnoxious human! Though I did understand why he was like that in the end, I still couldn't see past his bitterness. He did well by coming to the funeral and then talking to Hazel but it still wasn't enough for me.

So many favourite moments. Every single Hazel-Gus moment. I specially loved the kiss in the Anne Frank House. Also I loved Augustus' sense of humour. Even in the face of death, he still tried to be happy, he still tried to do good by the people he left behind. The car egging episode was the most fun! And I loved it when Gus asked Monica's mother to get into the house else he'd be forced to call the police. Haha! Everything he did was downright charming. I did like his last good day day before the Last Good Day. And the last letter he wrote. I wish he could have written the sequel for Hazel. I wish he could have left that behind for the world.

Hazel was such a strong character. She wasn't well herself and yet she did everything in her power for Gus when he needed it. Her struggle in the end, after he was gone, broke my heart. Why couldn't this just be a normal love story? Guess the magic would have been lost had it simply been a romance.

What did you think about the pre-funeral? (hide spoiler)]

[Lizz (Beer, Books and Boos)]

I am reading this right now

[Lizz (Beer, Books and Boos)]

I'm on chapter 12 and I love Augustus. I can't put this book down

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*********THIS BUDDY READ IS BEING REVISITED!***********

Revisit starts June 10, 2018

[Tammie]

Looking forward to this one...it's been on my shelf since 2014!

[Erika]

Same here!!!

[JanEyre9]

Hi everyone! I'm going to join in, I can't believe I've never read this.

[Tammie]

I'm in a good place to start this tomorrow as planned...looking forward to this one...I haven't seen the movie either...which I'm glad for...I think books are better if they are read first...before a movie.

[Erika]

I adore the movie which made me want to pick up the book.
Currently, i’ve only read two John Green books but enjoyed both

[Tammie]

Chapter 1
I've never been in a situation where I've been close to death. I've had a few times where I was depressed though. Do you believe in support groups?...my husbands parents refused anything when they were facing dying from cancer...we wanted them to go to hospice...but they didn't/wouldn't.

[SandyL]

I'm into Chapter 5. It's amazing how resilient young people are and how they seem to handle things so much better than adults. Even though (view spoiler)[ Hazel was depressed at the beginning of the book, she still seemed to be pretty matter-of-fact about her situation. I love the cancer-related words she makes up! (hide spoiler)]

[Tammie]

SandyL wrote: "I'm into Chapter 5. It's amazing how resilient young people are and how they seem to handle things so much better than adults. Even though [spoilers removed]"

She is soooo intelligent. I don't know many teenagers that would just keep at going to school/college after everything she's been through...so amazing.

I'm about half way through...keep the comments coming...

[SandyL]

I got a bit sidetracked and I'm on Chapter 6 now. I'm cracking up (view spoiler)[ "Kissing someone so that you can get a free trip is perilously close to full-on hooking, and I have to confess that while I did not fancy myself a particularly good person, I never thought my first real sexual action would be prostitutional." (hide spoiler)]

I'm still curious about why (view spoiler)[ Augustus is pursuing? Hazel - is it one of those things where you just feel an immediate attraction to someone or is there something else going on? (hide spoiler)]

[SandyL]

Okay (view spoiler)[ I should have read a few more pages! (hide spoiler)]

[SandyL]

I'm up to Chapter 14 and they (view spoiler)[ are on their way back from Amsterdam. Oh, the previous chapters just broke my heart. That author was so odious. I wasn't surprised that he turned out not to be all Hazel had built him up to be, but he was really over the top! And then the news from Augustus. I wondered what he had been fighting with his mom about (that Hazel and her mom heard through the door) - but I had no idea it would be this. Sigh..... (hide spoiler)]

[Tammie]

SandyL wrote: "I got a bit sidetracked and I'm on Chapter 6 now. I'm cracking up [spoilers removed]

I'm still curious about why [spoilers removed]"

I think there is (view spoiler)[something else going on AND I think he really does love her. They do both seem to be quite intellectual. (hide spoiler)]

[Tammie]

SandyL wrote: "I'm up to Chapter 14 and they [spoilers removed]"

You and I are at the exact same place in the book. (view spoiler)[ I am in agreement about VanHouten; however, it sounded like he was extremely ill as well...unfortunately Augustus and Hazel were handling their situations much more maturely than he.
I couldn't even believe Hazel climbed those stairs...unbelievable!

I'm extremely sad about Augustus...he's just apologized for not telling Hazel...but I think it was extremely brave actually. "The world is not a wish granting factory"...SOB! (hide spoiler)]

[Tammie]

i HATE CANCER !

[Tammie]

I've finished...5 stars for me.
I'll hang out until your finished so we can discuss more when your time allows.

[JanEyre9]

I got a little sidelined by a cold and a migraine and am a bit behind with reading so I won't be able to start until next week, hopefully someone will be around to chat with :)

[Tammie]

SandyL and Erika...will you be able to chat with JanE? We are on the same TT so ideally at least another person/team is represented. I hope you are better soon :)

[Erika]

Yes! I am hoping to pick this up in a day or so. Library due date came up on a couple others i’m finishing up first

[SandyL]

Erika and I are on the same team as well 😃 and she hasn't started either. I'll stop back to chat more and hopefully you can, as well, Tammie.

I'm done too. Wow - not what I was expecting. (view spoiler)[ It was so sad about Augustus and not what I was expecting. I was also surprised about Peter Van Houten and his reappearance. And I didn't like him or him coming back into the story.

Although this book kept my interest, it was because I wanted to know what happened and the ending was so unsatisfactory to me. I much prefer a book that actually has an ending or an epilogue or something like that. I feel cheated and now I know what Hazel and Augustus felt after reading Peter's book. Maybe that was what the author was going for? But why? To make his readers obsess on what happens to Hazel? (hide spoiler)]

I really liked Isaac! I also liked how (view spoiler)[ Hazel and Gus didn't pity him and even teased him about his blindness, and how he did it to himself as well. (hide spoiler)]

[Tammie]

Yes...I still have this thread tagged to chat...so I'll be back...just wanted to be sure another team member could do it.

Re end of book... (view spoiler)[ I thought the author did a great job with this book. I think he really meant for Peter Van Houten to be a bigger part of the book than he seemed. Initially his reference was just as a writer of a book they were obsessed about, but in retrospect he was a MC in my view.

I totally thought him coming to the funeral was strange, but then when I saw that Augustus sent him those pages...it made me think that Augustus had a significant connection to the guy...something we weren't privy to...it was weird but I think Augustus did a lot of extreme/weird things and asking Van Houten to write Hazel's eulogy...that had the potential for being 'healing' in so many ways for several people. I wondered if Augustus knew P V's story...hmmm.

I don't think Augustus wanted Hazel to see any reference to the end of her life...because in the end he was in so much pain...I know Augustus wanted her to live without the pain.

Anyway...those are kinda deep thoughts, but what I was thinking in absence of the epilogue...which I think you are correct...it just makes sense that the author would end this story in the same way Van Houten ended his. (hide spoiler)]

[JanEyre9]

Erika wrote: "Yes! I am hoping to pick this up in a day or so. Library due date came up on a couple others i’m finishing up first"

That's my exact situation Erika, I'm glad I'm not the only one! Have you started yet? I'm hoping to pick it up this weekend

[Erika]

Not yet but same!

[JanEyre9]

Perfect!

[Erika]

Picked this up today! I am a huge fan of the movie so I already have the actors in my head as these characters so my first reaction was “Wait a minute, Isaac is blonde!!!?”

[Erika]

I am in love with Augustus Waters.
I also love the parents in this novel.

[Tammie]

Erika wrote: "I am in love with Augustus Waters.
I also love the parents in this novel."

All the characters are so intelligent! I think they’ve already been through a lot when this story starts.

[Erika]

I love the snark level in this too